- Naked Gun 2 1/2
Should I register my script? Yes. Protect your ideas!
Where can I register my script?
Register with the Writers Guild of America online at http://www.wgawregistry.org/webrss/ ($20)
Register with the US Copyright Office online at
http://www.copyright.gov/register/ ($45)
What’s the difference?
The WGA registration proves date of ownership, is logged the day you apply, and needs to be renewed after five years. But if you ever have to go to court over an infringement issue, the script has to be copyrighted before a lawsuit can take place. Copyrighting a script takes longer, sometimes up to six months, but lasts throughout and after your lifetime, plus proves ownership in a court of law.
So what should I do?
If you can, register with both. You’re taken care of right away, and for the long haul.
Can I protect myself without registering my script before I send it out? A cheap way to prove ownership of your work is to send yourself a copy of your script, either via email or regular mail.
Does my script have a good chance of being sold?
Probably not. From the about 60,000 scripts written every year, only a few hundred are produced into movies. Still, television opportunities are expanding every day, and agents, managers and producers are always looking for the next great writer. Having a solid writing sample will get you in the door.
If somebody likes my script am I set?
That is a huge step, but make sure you have other ideas to talk about when you get in that door. That’s what they want to hear. So make sure that the ideas you’re talking about are what that person would be interested in. Do some research on who you’re talking to. If they make raunchy high school comedies, don’t tell them how excited you are to do a drama on llama farming in sixteenth century Peru.